Consuming Beauty

To understand Shabbat, it must be experienced

How can the sweetness and beauty of Shabbat be described? In this week's parasha, in which the first mitzvah of Shabbat is given, we find the following verse: "And Moses said [concerning the manna], 'Eat it today, for today is Shabbat for G‑d, you won't find it [the manna] in the field...'" (Ex. 16:25).Rabbi Yechezkhel of Kuzhmir said that the phrase "eat it today" can be read in Hebrew "eat the day", meaning eat the day itself! The sweetness and beauty of Shabbat is so delicious that it can only be experienced by biting into it and savoring its taste - meaning by having a sensory-spiritual experience.

Furthermore, Shabbat is a day for staying in the house at the Shabbat table with family and friends, or in the study hall. This is because on Shabbat, continues the verse, " . . .you won't find it in the field".

[First published in B'Ohel Hatzadikim, Beshalach 5760; Based on sources in Chasidut and Kabbala]